7 Days
by Shaxra15
Summary: In a modern city setting, Squad 7 work as Purgers: a mix of police and crime scene investigators. One night the entire Uchiha estate is massacred and the evidence is pointing at one of the investigation's own members…Conspiracy and betrayal breaks out. Squad 7 has seven days to clear the case before the Purge is indefinitely brought down and more die.(Mild NaruHina and SasuSaku)
1. Day 1 Part 1 SLAUGHTER

_**(Rated T for mild gore and language)**_

_AN: Hang on tight, this is gonna be an interesting ride. (Well hopefully :P) I wanted something different, unique, and serious yet fun. A different world but still the same characters to the core, the baka's still a baka and the medic's a medic. It's just instead of ninjas who fight evil you have the Purgers (a merge of police and crime scene investigators) who fight crime. This is my first time doing a mystery/crime story so I hope I planned out the seven days this takes place in well. Also note, even I admit my writing ain't good but I'm striving to improve. And hopefully the unexpected happens and there's surprises along the way in this tale :3 And yes this is a revamp of an old fic on a junk account._

_Note, the prologue is not supposed to make perfect sense. Yet. (Be patient with me…) Consider the prologue a taste sample of future events. Mwa ha ha, I'd be glad for predictions anytime __**in reviews**__. _

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**PROLOGUE-DAY 4**

_He only had three more days to solve the case and so far he hadn't had a squat of luck. Yesterday, a most excellent example of his increasingly worsening luck, had been a downright failure as he had hit a dead end hard-harder than a racecar driving at full speed strait into a damn brick wall. He could just hear the sound effects, the screech of the tires and the booming crash, play in his head as he thought the day's event over. He chuckled bitterly as he got up from where he had been drinking. His mood was foul, he needed to walk. As he left his current hideout he, in his frustration, slammed the door behind him. The air outside was cool and the night was black as dried blood, the kind so old that it cracked from age. _

_Nighttime was dangerous-especially on this side of town, but not as dangerous as daytime when people were about their business till they saw him-then you'd have the few who didn't know how to mind their own damn business and would report him into the Purge Headquarters, home of the Purge police force. If he got caught he would be detained, thus he'd be back at square one again. That was the last thing he needed or wanted…all the hell he had gone through just to get to this point, as insignificant as it was, and the trouble a number of the Purge members were getting into for his sake…all of it would go to complete waste if he was caught now. _

_He walked through the streets seething in anger. He prayed the stroll in the clear nighttime air would help calm his anxiety. He had to think this through and he only had a few more days to do so…_but_…How the heck was he supposed to crack the case when he was a runaway convict? Or rather an _innocent_ runaway convict who was sought after by not only Purge Headquarters but perhaps every criminal in town at that? Oh, how he desperately wished pieces to this great puzzle before him would just fall into place, liberating him from this cross that was forced upon him._

_The Purge was the greatest column supporting the metropolis in more ways than one. It'd always appeared like a flawless system that purged the evildoers from the streets, supported, and kept the city safe. Well up till that most terrible fated Day 1 anyway. Everything had fallen miserably straight to hell from there. The Week had started with slaughter and he'd be damned if it ended with more slaughterish bloodshed-well he was already damned anyway. Now while most everyone was chasing after _him _the_ real_ murderer was still on the loose…It was a foul miscarriage of justice indeed. One that would have drastic effects not only on the Purge itself but even the city which they'd sworn to protect…._

_As he made a turn through the dark and barren streets he suddenly felt a pair of hands grab him from behind. How they had approached him without him even sensing their presence was beyond him. Something told him this was not a mugger, but _worse_. He instinctively reached for his gun but the assailant was faster than he. The gun was knocked to the side as a bag was thrown over his head, obscuring his vision. Struggling, he was met with a heavy blow to the back of his head. His body went limp as everything faded to black._

_It was over._

_The case was all over-gone in a matter of seconds, he reflected sulkily later on upon waking up blindfolded and tied. He mused about how he was going to die tied to a freaking cheap chair. Oh the sardonic irony. He smiled mischievously for the hell of it._

_The game appeared to be over-and it hadn't even been seven days yet…_

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**Day 1 Part 1: SLAUGHTER-**_**Welcome to the Purge!**_

"Sorry I'm late, Sai," Captain Kakashi Hatake said as he pushed his way to the scene of the crime. It was early in the morning, 7:25 A.M. to be exact. "I was speeding here when my car ran over a cat, and I just _couldn't_ leave its body in the middle of the road so I was forced to park and ever so tenderly move the cat's corpse to the sidewalk. But then a little girl came and saw, she kind of came to the wrong conclusion, see?"

Sai chuckled, "yet another tall excuse, eh? What would a little girl be doing walking through the streets so early in the morning, on a Saturday at that?"

"Maybe I was mistaken…" Kakashi paused realizing the flaw in his story. He should have known Sai would have caught on to any mistakes, even the tiniest ones. Now if he had been speaking to Naruto on the other hand…"It was an elderly woman, yeah a rather _short _elderly woman. Perhaps she was out buying prunes, there's a first-come-first-serve sale today at a local market."

Sai sighed tiredly; they both knew what he had_ really_ been doing: reading certain _very _mature fiction. Kakashi laughed, his mouth hidden by his scarf. Sai, nor anyone else on Squad 7 for that matter, had never actually _seen _their own Captain's mouth all these years. He was always wearing a scarf or going around in a medical mask as he claimed it was flu season or he had allergies. It wasn't a big deal but at the same time it was most amusing. Many humorous stories and rumors of Kakashi's real reasons were floating around Purge Headquarters-the most popular hypothesis being it was to hide his bloody nose as he frequently reads perverted books.

Wearing an eye-patch on his left eye, a testimonial battle scar, Kakashi was no doubt one of the coolest and laid back Squad captains in all of PH. He was also one fine detective. Hatake was one of the five reasons Squad 7 was considered the best. The other four reasons Squad 7 was PH's finest teams was its renowned medical examiner and crime-laboratory technician, Sakura Haruno, second only to the great Tsunade herself. Her medical abilities made her an absolute necessity to the team.

Then Sai himself who was the newest squad member, his magic fingers for rebuilding the crime-scene perfectly in the complex computer software from his very meticulous photographs and sketches made him irreplaceable and he'd solved many a case. Last but not least was the rival duo. Ever competing to outdo each other, Naruto Uzumaki-the more brawns then brains officer, and cool Sasuke Uchiha, a prodigy in practically all areas, quickly gained a reputation of fear to the Underworld. #1 rule in this city: never tick either of them off-_especially_ the Uchiha.

Getting down to business, the silver-headed detective then stared out at the scene of the crime before him. He closed his eyes shaking his head; it was a heavy case indeed. As heavy as it got…Sai held up his bulky camera. "Be careful not to disturb anything. I've not got all the pictures yet. As you can see…"

Kakashi nodded. The scene that lay before them was gruesome…and all over the place. What was once the glorious Uchiha estate was now covered in bloodied and mutilated bodies. Many small numbered yellow flags, which Sai had put down marking all necessary places of evidence, littered the area. The bodies, already traced with chalk, were young and old alike. _'It appears,' _Kakashi thought solemnly, _'no one was spared from this butchery._

'_From the looks of it_,' he figured upon closely examining the obvious external trauma via blood pooling out an open wound on one of the corpses, _'the perp just went through this place stabbing victims and tossing them to the ground so they could quickly hit the next person. So many bodies…And to think, we're only at the front of the estate.' _It was a difficult sight, but Kakashi was well experienced. As for Sai, well he was bred for perfection and lived to get the job done.

Even though both had experience the stench polluting the air around them was still terrible as well as barely tolerable. The massacre had to have happened _that _night thus the bodies had not begun rotting but even so, with the amount of fresh blood soaking into the ground the smell made for a strong and foul stench of rust. It was said that after three minutes of being in such a foul odor one would no longer smell as the olfactory nerves went numb. Kakashi prayed this would happen to him but had a feeling he wouldn't be so lucky today.

Clicks from Sai's camera ticked on as he took numerous pictures and occasionally scribbled and sketched in his notebook what he saw, it would no doubt take him a good amount of time to cover everything. Taking pictures and taking notes on the crime scene involved capturing every little detail that could prove useful to solving the case, every victim, their wounds, footsteps, and car tracks (which strangely Kakashi couldn't see any visible prints or tracks of any kind. Something told him this bastard had known what he was doing.) There was much to cover and it was a huge estate. Kakashi predicted they had a long night ahead of them, multiple all nighters realistically.

As Kakashi gazed out at the gory sight before him he thought carefully about how to go about this case as one of his own squad members was, in fact, an Uchiha. He was concerned with how Sasuke would take the news of the slaughter of the seemingly entire Uchiha family. Sasuke had just happened to stay at PH last night finishing up reports on a recently solved case but if he hadn't…he, too, would have certainly fell victim.

When Kakashi had left that morning upon being dispatched by the second in charge, Sasuke was asleep on the break room's couch **(*1)**, the pile of finished reports on the coffee table. Kakashi, not yet realizing the horror of the case before them, fortunately had left Sasuke be. Lord knows that kid needs all the sleep he can get. Though when he wakes… his world will never be the same again….Kakashi felt sincere pity sweep through him for the young man.

Kakashi pulled his radio out. "Tsunade boss," he said calling in to the second in charge of the Purge, "do not dispatch the rest of Squad 7, I repeat do not. Any other Squad but them."

'_Don't do this to him…Not like this…'_

He heard a sigh on the other end. "How bad is it?"

"Define massacre."

Her breath caught for a moment. "I understand…Sakura is holed up conducting an autopsy for another Squad and Uzumaki hasn't reported in to PH anyway-that bum is, I expect, sleeping in late. I'm docking his pay," she complained. "But what do you want me to do about Sasuke?"

_Whoever had done this would surely have Sasuke to fear_. More clicks from Sai's camera ticked by as he made his way while trying to carefully step over the numerous bodies.

Kakashi sighed, "Keep him ignorant until I have a chance to personally talk to him. This is going to be hard for him…You know how he gets when he's upset-he lets his rage blind him. He's going to want revenge and he's going to want to spill the blood himself."

"I see. Since because of Officer Uzumaki's tardiness this morning I dispatched Officer Akimichi to patrol the Uchiha estate earlier, I will send out the rest of Squad 10 to handle the scene. You and Sai stay put though as I am not dismissing you from the case. _Out."_

Kakashi nodded thankful for Tsunade's cooperation. It wasn't normal to split and mix up squads -this was most likely a onetime thing only. He was grateful he'd have Shikamaru's help with this case. That kid had brains; he was a valuable Purge member who handled not only evidence collection but also he was one of the Purge's best crime-laboratory technicians as well. Ino, on the other hand, was inferior to Squad 7's Sakura as a medical examiner unfortunately but any help this case could get was much needed-besides it didn't take a huge medical degree to see that these victims were dead as could be. Speaking of the Squad 10, where was their officer, Choji?

As the captain was about to step outside the black gates that surrounded the Uchiha estate a silver object caught his eyesight as it glinted in the rising sun's light. The object was caught in the black bars of the gate.

"Hey! Sai," Kakashi called, "by the gate, look."

Sai stopped and walked towards the object Kakashi had pointed out. It was a bloodied knife. He quickly began taking pictures capturing its position, measurements, and location from multiple angles and distances.

"Seeing as how no one reported gunshots last night and the victims appear to be killed by a sharp weapon…this just might be a murder weapon," Sai said. "Maybe the assailant, in his haste, unexpectedly dropped it. Dispatch _did_ say the caller who reported the scene in saw a figure rush off around 4 A.M."

"Yes," Kakashi mumbled. "Hopefully the perp left a few good fingerprints on there for us to find."

"It _would _make this case _so _much easier," Sai said as he carefully picked up the knife by its tip in his gloved hands. He pulled out his flashlight and examined the knife closely.

"Thank goodness," he said pulling out his kit. "There're some prints. I'm going to go ahead and powder it."

"While you're doing that I'm going to check in with Officer Akimichi about the person who called this scene in."

"Yes, Captain Kakashi."

Outside the gates the smell was less putrid. Kakashi was thankful for the fresh air. He looked back and forth; it appeared Choji had done a fine job taping off the perimeter with the yellow tape giving them plenty of space. As he inspected the exterior of the estate while searching for Choji he noticed another body on the ground nearby. Strange, this one appeared to be the onlyone _outside_ the estate's gates.

He approached them carefully as if any noise he'd make would disturb their lingering spirit. He recognized their face immediately, she was Sasuke's mother. "Oh God," he whispered. For a split second she looked like Rin and Kakashi's heart stopped beating for the briefest moment. He shook his head shaking the solemn and ever haunting memory away.

He crouched next to her, his heart feeling heavier as the full gravity of the situation just kept sinking further and further in. This…was a tragedy and she yet another innocent victim. She had been stabbed multiple times and by the look of the blood drops and puddles she had repeatedly tried to keep going but had collapsed numerous times in the process till she finally dropped for the last time, succumbing to her all too early death by blood loss.

"You tried getting away, didn't you? But they were relentless…Try resting peace now, I'll watch over your son for you and I swear I'll get the bastard who did this to you and your family."

He stood up, face expression grim. Walking some more around the perimeter he finally saw the Squad 10 Officer. He was arguing with a reporter who was standing within the taped off area.

'_Oh boy,' _Kakashi thought, _'It begins.' _Prying the eager-for-stories reporters from the scene of the crime could be such a chore….

"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" Kakashi asked in a loud authoritative voice as he approached the bickering reporter and officer.

"Yes, Captain Kakashi. She refuses to leave," Choji said pointing at the reporter.

It was Temari, her blonde hair held up in multiple tails. Her thin and curvy frame stood tall. She was the perfect image for an anchorwoman-it was no wonder why she was most popular for _5 News_. She held on to her video camera and sneered, "Well if it isn't the Detective Hatake."

"Temari…Isn't' it a little too early for news coverage?"

"Well, you know what they say," she smiled, rather maliciously. "The early bird catches the scoop. Besides…I gotta make a living _somehow _since my dear daddy fell victim to a mafia because a certain organization _failed_ to protect him."

Choji groaned. Kakashi patted him on the shoulder. "You go on ahead, I'll handle _her_."

_Anything for the briefest respite from the morbid slaughter…_

Choji quickly rushed off praising Kakashi's timing. She was one of the most persistent reporters he'd ever encountered.

"Temari, you are behind police lines and are possibly contaminating potential evidence. GO," Kakashi demanded.

She sighed, "You know…I just happen to be the person who called this in. You should show me some respect…No…_Gratitude_."

Kakashi shook his head. It was obvious she still had a grudge about the whole Gaara Incident …

"Listen Temari, I feel so sorry that my Squad wasn't able to save your family, but if you don't get off the premises the same thing that happened to you is going to happen to one of my squad members."

_Seeing your family dead on the TV screen as a news reporter rambled on about the horror when they couldn't even begin to understand how much it hurt… _Temari had went through this a year of two ago as her family was wiped out simultaneously. Temari's father, who had been the mayor, died by the hands of the Akatsuki. Because of the Akatsuki's puppet user, Sasori, her brother Kankuro died to poisoning and Gaara's body was never found….The Akatsuki was a nasty gang but with the help of Purgers the Akatsuki was now broken up. A few members were still imprisoned in PH's jail: The Black Wing.

The news about the mayor and his sons' deaths spread all over the place, TV, radios, papers, and the internet. Temari was forced through the torture of hearing about it over and over and having the wound keep opening again and again…Her grudge for Squad 7's failure was understandable. But it's not like Squad 7 didn't try their best. Naruto himself was still upset about it, mentioning Gaara's name around him was absolute taboo. He had lost a dear friend….

"Please," Kakashi said, "I can't repay you for what was lost…but if you so kindly get behind the tape we can make this easier for everyone. I'll question you about what you saw and after that the Purgers will find more evidence then you can make your report. But not yet… And if you don't get behind the line I'll have you arrested. I don't want to do that."

Temari stubbornly crossed her arms. Looks like things were going to have to be done the hard way. Kakashi pulled out a pair of tweezers and picked a strand of blonde hair from the grass. His eyes never missed anything.

"Look what I just found, if this hair matches yours you just went from being a witness to a _suspect_."

"WHAT!?" she hissed. "But I called it in! I'm just a reporter!"

He frowned as he dropped the hair in a small bag and sealed it. The hair, if it belonged to her, was too short to not be from her bangs. If it wasn't hers it was possibly a male's hair. On the front of the plastic bag he wrote in marker:

_K.H._

_E. Piece #1_

_Outside Uchiha Estate Gates. _

_Blonde Hair found to approx. four yards to the left of entrance._

Kakashi continued as he put the piece of evidence away, "you're a reporter who just _happens _to be standing at a crime-scene before anyone else. How do I know you aren't the murderer and are just using your job as a way to cover up your tracks? You guys have been running out of good stories lately so maybe that's your motive. You also possibly want revenge. Perhaps you want Squad 7 to go through the exact thing you went through…It just happens Naruto is an orphan and doesn't have any family for you to kill. Someone long got to them before you could so you struck Sasuke's home first."

"How dare you!" she yelled, the rage in her voice clear. "I would never sink so low! Yes I _hate _the Purge but I would never kill!" she grabbed her camera and swiftly stepped over the tape. "This city deserves to see you guys _fall_! And I'll be the one to unmask you guys for what you _really_ are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kakashi inquired grimly.

She didn't answer but mumbled under her breath leaving the scene. Kakashi sighed exasperated. Man he hoped she had listened to him…

He heard a dog barking off in the distance, which reminded him of Akamaru. Kiba and his dog, Akamaru, were PH's only K-9 Unit members. Because this case was recent they were searching for the perp who had to be nearby…Kakashi was beginning to regret that decision made by dispatch. If there was a psychopath insane enough to butcher so many and smart enough to wipe their tracks…then they no doubt laid traps as well.

Kakashi had to warn Sai. Back inside the estate Kakashi called for Sai. "Sai! Wait!"

The young man looked up, "What is it, Captain?"

"We better wait for Akamaru to go through here before you continue; this creep might have laid traps out."

"I think its fine. If there were traps I would have ran into them by now, and here, the index card containing the prints I found. Can you go ahead and drop this off at headquarters?" asked Sai as he handed the card to Kakashi. Kakashi pocketed it. Sai no doubt wanted to get the perp's name before Kiba did. Everything in the Purge became a contest when different Squads were involved.

"Alright, but be careful. Squad 10 should be here to help assist soon. After I'm done scanning this I'm going to have Temari questioned or interrogated-however it needs put."

Sai nodded smiling. "Oh, reporters."

"Heh, you can say that again."

Leaving Sai, Kakashi carefully looked at the index card containing the fingerprint, and actually Sai had managed to get a palm print too. They belonged to an average-sized right hand. Now… if they could just find a match then surely this atrocious criminal would be caught-putting _some _relief to this mess. Then there was Sasuke to worry about. How does one tell a young man his family has been massacred and he just might be the last one alive?

Kakashi was in his car when the explosions went off. It was so sudden it took him quite by surprise. "SAI!" he yelled as he saw monstrous amounts of fire and smoke discharged from the Uchiha estate. It was too late. He banged his head on the steering wheel with a loud curse. This was a nightmare. He quickly pulled out his radio. "Tsunade, the estate just blew up- we need firefighters and a medic immediately! Have them salvage anything they can!"

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**-TBC-**

_Oh who oh who left the fingerprint, and what about the rest of the evidence and poor Sai?_

_Just what happened to the Uchiha estate and how will Kakashi break the news to the possibly last Uchiha?_

Next time: Day 1 Part 2: Suspect-The evidence never lies…

_(And for crap's sake, where's Squad 7's #1 knucklehead doofus when ya need him XD)_

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

***1-The couch**-_In my particular school in a certain classroom there is a friggen COUCH! (a long green one) So I though why not here too? The Purger's are like family anyways _

_And because this is the Purge there are going to be some changes to what you have in real life-just mild ones though._

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**IMPORTANT TERMS-Some of which have not been used yet but are good to know for later…and believe me when I say this list is going to grow. **

**Alpha** : _Head of the Purge Headquarters. Only top members report into him, everyone else reports into the second in charge, Tsunade._

**The Black Wing**: _where criminals are detained. This jail resides within Purge Headquarters. Includes some Akatsuki members such as Kisame and Hidan._

**Crim**: _Slang for 'criminal', mostly used by uniform members. (Especially Uzumaki)_

**Crime-Laboratory Technician: **_ Receives and examines evidence from lab. Includes Shizune, Sakura, Shikamaru, Shino, and Hinata, late Neji, ect._

**Ident****: **_Short for Identification division, responsible for collecting evidence. Includes Sai, Sasuke and Squad 8 especially._

**Perp:** _slang for "perpetrator"._

**Purgers**_ : A mix of police and crime scene investigators. A Purge squad is comprised of an officer, ident, and a detective as a captain. They are assigned to a case and are responsible for carrying out justice. Purgers are bound by the unwritten law of never showing favoritism among criminals though they are allowed to treat higher up (better behaved) crims to partial liberty. Example: Nagato Uzumaki formerly known as Pain, the former head of Akatsuki frequently took walks outside with his distant relative (Naruto Uzumaki) for long talks. Officer Uzumaki deemed him fully Purged and ready for another chance in society. Purgers have the power to release Purged criminals on good behavior if the Alpha consents._

**Purge Headquarters**: _(referred to as simply "PH" by employees)_ is _where Purgers work, examining evidence and monitoring the criminals in a separate part of the PH building. The PH is said to be the spinal column of the city. If the Purge falls, so does the city._

_(PH reminds me of "pH" in which ironically "7" is considered neutral. And PH's also the abbreviation for Public Health and Purple Heart XD none of that was done on purpose but let's pretend it was cuz I'm good like that! JK :P)_


	2. Day 1 Part 2 SUSPECT

**Day 1 Part 2: SUSPECT-**_**The Evidence Never Lies**_

"_The best thing you can do for all of them is to find the culprit."_

Tsunade's words echoed in Kakashi's mind as he waited for the computer to scan the prints. The machine made a slight buzzing sound as it went through God knows how many prints. The detective rubbed his hands through his hair, listening to the noise and just thinking to himself. He still hadn't told Sasuke the news and he would have to do it soon…or gossip would. The sound of footsteps approaching interrupted his train of thought. Kakashi looked up to see Yamato, the occasional substitute captain for Squad 7, peering down at him.

"How's Sai?" Yamato asked. "I was able to get all the pictures that he took developed but his notes and everything else is…well there's no saving them now."

Kakashi had expected that. PH technology, such as Sai's expensive camera, was nothing to underestimate but paper was. The paper had caught fire along with pretty much all the other evidence at the Uchiha estate. It burnt as smoothly as the tip of a match.

"Fortunately, last I checked anyway, Sai's alive but he's still in ER with Sakura," Kakashi said gloomily. "I already informed Sakura about this case seeing as how she'll be the one to conduct the autopsy." Sakura in the know left only half of Squad 7 ignorant now: the rival Uzumaki and Uchiha.

"Autopsy?" Yamato asked slightly confused. "I thought the explosion…"

"Destroyed all the bodies? They did. Save for one," replied Kakashi. "Sasuke's mother: Mikoto Uchiha. If she had not been outside the gates…"

Yamato nodded his head understandingly. They then waited in the thick silence, nothing else needed to be said. The events of the night followed by its unfortunate morning had put a dark cloud over PH and under it no one felt very talkative. A quiet beep from the computer broke the silence, signaling that the scanning was complete. Thankful, Kakashi looked closely at the monitor.

"That's strange…" he murmured. "The symbol on here…it's the PH crest."

The Purge crest, the symbol of a fiery phoenix guarding the 'P' from behind, caught his attention more quickly than name that would forever change the Purge. _It belonged to a Purger? _The particular crest design on the screen signified that the person was no doubt one of the PH's own employees. There were slight variances of the PH crests depending on the Purger's forte and this one was proudly adorned with four stars-they were an S-Rank officer.

"They're a Purger?" Yamato asked. "Who in the blazes…"

Kakashi didn't respond but instead stared in disbelief at the screen as he finally zeroed in on the name that contained not one, but two surnames. His eyes were wide and he quickly began tapping on the computer's touch screen. "Impossible," he muttered. He zoomed in on the two prints to inspect them more closely but it only revealed how absolutely perfect the match was. _It can't be…_Yamato, wondering who in the world it was, read the name out loud confirming to Kakashi that he wasn't seeing things.

"It has to be wrong," he said fidgeting with the computer.

Yamato averted his eyes from the morbid screen. "The evidence doesn't lie…"

The match belonged to…

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

Being so close to Adrix members made Kakashi downright uneasy. Adrix Purgers tended to be too rough and mysterious-no one knew much about them except that they worked in the lower parts of the massive PH building and they watched over the Black Wing. The only time they really surfaced above was when they were being used for special circumstances and this was as special a circumstance as it got. The last time a Purger was linked to a crime was when Orochimaru went rogue. The presence of the Adrix now so quickly could only mean that the Alpha was not going to take another chance again-even against Kakashi's protest. Rogue Purgers are just too annoying dealing with once they fall off the grid.

Kakashi came to a halt when he reached the door to the break room. He turned to the two Adrix members behind him-two men he had never even seen before. "I will talk to them first. Wait out here," he commanded.

"Yes, Hatake," the taller and older of the two said. Kakashi took a breath and opened the door to the break room. Just as Tsunade had informed him, Naruto, recently checked in, was already taking his lunch and Sasuke was with him. The blonde seemed to be chatting away happily, unaware of his captain's presence. Sasuke noticed though but only gave a quick glance before switching his attention back to the blabbering cop who was going on about something...

"_Man_, you should have seen how much _blood_ there was! After I slashed though one, their intestines started spilling out and I was like '_gross!'_ Then the other I slit the throat and the blood just gushed out all over the place! After taking the third one out like twenty more popped up around me. The knife I was using was too short and-"

Sasuke interrupted and asked him, "Why didn't you just use your gun? When there are a lot of them it's best to start with a long range weapon."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Naruto whined slapping his forehead.

"Cause you're an idiot," Sasuke said flatly with a hint of a smile.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Kakashi exclaimed so suddenly it caused Naruto to jump. "I never thought the day would come when I'd say this but…please tell me you're talking about a video game!"

Naruto beamed, "Yup! Yesterday I got my preorder of the Super X edition of Make-Out Zombies! Gotta love MoZ!"

Kakashi wanted to laugh out loud as such a strong feeling of relief swept through him. Naruto had seriously just unnerved him. Of all the things to be talking about at such a time…

"X edition?" he asked trying to make his voice casual and behave as he would any other day. He was an adamant fan of late Jiraiya's series that, in its popularity, had spawned a movie, games, and just about everything else under the sun of merchandise. And people continued to just eat it up; Jiraiya was a genius who certainly struck a goldmine when he had decided to throw zombie-slaying action in his already popular romance series. Unfortunately, Kakashi never did have time to follow the games as younger squad mates did….

"X for extra err…female zombies," Naruto chuckled. "You can blame the Perv for getting me attached to the stupid game-I don't like reading but I sure as heck love playing a good game. It's a good way to blow off steam."

"More like ditch work," Sasuke retorted, still sore from having to do all the paper work the previous night. Thanks to it, he had just about woken up then chanced upon bumping into Naruto right after. It was noon so they had went ahead and took their lunch…

"They ain't my thing anyways…I'm more of an action guy."

"Of course you are."

"Do I detect an insult in that?"

Kakashi sighed. It was best to break their conversation up now before things got _really _going. "Hey Sasuke there's something I need to speak with you about."

Sasuke set his lunch down turning his full attention to the Squad 7 captain. "Hn?"

"Yeah, Kakashi, what is it?" Naruto asked. He noisily slurped at his instant ramen. Did that boy ever eat anything else? It was beyond Kakashi how he managed to stay so fit when his entire food-pyramid seemed to be dictated by only a single dish: ramen. No vegetables or fruit…just noodles 24/7. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was always so energetic…all those damn carbs that he somehow worked off so perfectly. Kakashi was almost jealous of the unbound youth. _Well-till this day anyways_, he thought to himself as he got his brain back on track.

"Naruto, I'm sorry but I need to speak with Sasuke in private…" As he said this he tried to appear emotionless-anything but grim. A Purger was bound by rules…and procedures. He would be no different…Though the facts reminded him of this he still felt in his gut he was betraying his own squad mate in a way.

"And while I'm talking with him there's some men who want to see you out in the hall."

He could just hear the final nail being driven in…_Oh Minato forgive me for doing this to your son,_ he silently prayed as he saw the innocent blue eyes look at him curiously…so completely unaware.

Procedures, procedures…nothing more.

Stepping outside the break room Sasuke looked back suspiciously but Kakashi only urged him forward. He would have given anything just to warn Naruto ahead of time but he couldn't do so without Sasuke seeing, thus causing the Uchiha to jump to wrong conclusions…Despair could lead one to do the most terrible things to even friends.

_-xXx-_

After watching the two teammates leave Naruto crossed his arms as he waited for the people who wanted to see him. He hoped he wasn't in trouble for ditching work last night…He sighed. He probably was. He should have known Tsunade would be ticked off…but surely he deserved a little slack seeing has how Squad 7 had just busted a case. It wasn't like anything was going on that needed full attention….

"Uzumaki."

He was not familiar with their voice. He immediately turned his head towards the voice only for his eyes to meet two Adrix members-not a lower rank officer as he had expected. What the hell where the likes of them doing upstairs? As an officer who worked hard for his rank, and honorably so, he did not exactly approve of the Adrix's often violent methods. He had suspicions they did a good number of dirty jobs too.

"Something wrong?" he asked curtly hoping they would quickly leave so he could get back to lunch. He was missing his ramen. The shorter and younger of the two looked to his partner who nodded in response.

"You were just linked to a homicide and under Purge procedures you are now to be placed under arrest for surveillance."

_What!?_ Naruto could scarcely believe his ears. _It's a joke! It HAS to be a sick joke! And it's totally not funny!_

"Oh ha ha!" he chuckled mockingly. "Do me a favor and tell the prick that's paying you to get a life."

The older pulled out a paper and handed it to Naruto. "Unlike typical Purgers the Adrix doesn't _joke_ about such things."

Naruto's mind raced as he read the warrant. It had Tsunade's signature and everything! Even Alpha's name was scribbled on there in crimson ink….But what freaked him even more was the list of homicide victims. The list of names, and a few blanked out ones that had not been identified, all bore the Uchiha surname. What the heck was going on?!

"I still don't believe it! _How?!"_

"You're fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. Now turn around and place your hands on the wall." He saw metal flash in one of their hands.

Naruto cursed. He was framed! Regardless the fact he was framed, under Purge rules anyone connected directly to a murder weapon had to be detained….Like Hell he was going to let it happen without at least an attempt to resist. Still, Adrix was on a whole other level compared to normal officers…His chances were slim but he had to try-and he had to do it without drawing the Kyuubi, his gun, else the accusations against him only worsen. Fighting Adrix with just bare hands was a bad idea, actually downright stupid and defeat was inevitable, but he had to clear his name! The only way he could do that was un-detained.

"I am an S-Rank Purge officer! You have no right to arrest me!" he yelled raising a fist. Seeing the younger move towards him he swung at them but they swiftly ducked as if expecting it. Straitening himself he laughed, unfazed by Naruto's angry outburst. "What rights? Your status as an officer of PH was officially revoked the moment you became a criminal. Officer? Ha! Go ahead and make a fickle attempt of resisting us but you'll still find yourself in Purgatory at the end of the day by our hands."

Naruto feinted with his left and used his other hand to grab the man by his collar. He shoved him into the wall as hard as he could. "I'm still an officer," he growled. "And you will not touch me." He released the man taking a step back. The man smiled cheekily which only infuriated Naruto. Just as Naruto was about to slug him he felt electricity run through his body as something jabbed into him from behind. _Crap! This was what he got for letting himself get distracted when there were two of them!_

Outnumber and unprepared, he recoiled back in pain. The older Adrix officer took advantage of his immobility by pushing him into the wall, this time. His head was throbbing in pain upon collision and he could hardly breathe. The joke, for he refused to accept the accusations against him as anything but, was going way too far now, just way too far-it was freaking unforgivable.

Naruto hissed as he tried to push back but was met with a hard kick to his shin causing his knees to buckle. Stunned he felt his arms twisted forcefully behind him. _No!_ His body was screaming to fight back but it was too late, the elecuffs locked around his wrist. For reasons he couldn't explain his right hand felt heavier then the other…He ignored it has his mind was too distracted with the fact he, an _officer_, was under arrest. He was officially caught, the presence of the elecuffs sealing the deal for if they had been normal old fashioned hand-cuffs he could have easily freed himself but digitally locked elecuffs were another story altogether.

The first thing they removed from his persons, of course, should have been his gun, but the young Adrix went right for his badge-the PH crest. He grunted as he struggled against the iron grip around his shoulders but it was useless. He clenched his teeth, his eye-brow furrowing.

"Just stop, Uzumaki. You're only wasting your energy."

As one of them pulled the Kyuubi from its holster they chuckled, "Ya won't need this in Purgatory." The nickname "Purgatory" was a sick perversion of the White Room, which was where homicide suspects were detained until officially proven guilty or innocent in trial. Sick bastards. So help him, if any of them lost or got a scratched on his silver gun…there'd be the devil to pay. It was the only thing he had left of his father….

The other Adrix meanwhile stripped him of the rest of his belongings, including his lucky charm (a well hidden knife) and his cell phone.

"Wow," they said holding his phone. "_Nice._ The latest model-I'm surprised a half-assed officer like you can afford this."

"When this mess gets sorted out, I swear I'll have your badge!" Naruto hissed spitting at him. The Adrix officer was not amused. He wiped his face and raised his hand to strike but his partner stopped him. "That's enough," they said fiercely. "We already have him."

And they did. Unable to do anything, he was led away but the fire in his eyes did not, even for a second, waver or die down.

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

"What did you bring me here for, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked as he sat at the smooth grey table tapping his fingers against its surface impatiently. The long room, that Kakashi had taken him to, was often used for meetings but other then that it was mostly empty save for the table. The table must have held at least twenty chairs. Kakashi sat in one across from Sasuke.

"Give me your gun."

"Why?"

"Just give it here, please."

Sasuke removed the Susanoo from his holster and slid the black gun across the table to Kakashi who carefully grabbed it. "Last night…" Kakashi started but stopped which annoyed Sasuke.

"Give me your blade, too."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes as he removed and slid it, too, across the table. "Happy now? Care to explain already?"

Kakashi nodded staring down at the silver blade which, of course, was thoroughly well care for as one would expect from Sasuke. Kakashi, satisfied these dangerous tools were on his side of the table rather then the other, finally began his explanations once again.

"I'm afraid I have terrible news. Last night, while you were at PH…the…something happened…."

"Stop stepping on eggshells and spit it out already." Sasuke's voice hinted at both boredom and anger.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Last night, while you were here at PH, someone went through the Uchiha estate murdering seemingly everyone within its walls. I don't know the exact extent or if anyone survived but…upon investigation this morning a bomb was set off destroying most of the evidence."

Sasuke's face was blank, the news not yet registering.

"Your…mother was one of the victims. She was also the only body recovered from the scene. I'm so sorry. I can only hope she'll lead us to the bastard who did this so they can be brought to justice…."

Sasuke trusted Kakashi enough to know he would never lie about something like this. His face finally showed signs of shock then after a minute or two reflected sadness. He looked down shaking his head. His eyes darkened intensively. "Where's Naruto?"

This was really the path Kakashi had wanted to avoid…

"I don't see what he has to do with this," Kakashi waved dismissively.

Sasuke stood up suddenly, knocking his chair down. It clattered back as Sasuke slammed his fist against the table.

"JUST ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" Sasuke yelled. "Did you _really_ think my eyes missed the Adrix members in the hallway!? Do you think I'm that _stupid_!?"

This was bad. Very bad. He needed to get Sasuke to calm down. "So what there are Adrix members roaming about?"

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "On what charges are they arresting him, I wonder? How is he connected to this? Tell me, Kakashi!"

There was no avoiding it, if not through Kakashi he'd find out elsewhere and Kakashi wouldn't be there for damage control if elsewhere. It was best to get this all out now. When one finds out such tragic news they typically tend to react by either mourning or lusting for revenge and PH did not need the latter as Sasuke was already beginning to show signs of.

"His prints were on the murder weapon."

Sasuke lunged for his gun but Kakashi slapped his hand against the Uchiha's arm-holding it in an iron grip. "You know damn well," he hissed, "Naruto was framed. You will _not _take your anger or sadness out on him and you will _not _lay a singer finger on him. Not _one_."

"Tch." Sasuke tried pulling his shaking arm free but Kakashi refused to let go just yet. The Uchiha's eyes were still burning with instance hatred.

"Your family is _dead_. We will find who did it and justice will be carried out properly. Do you hear me, Sasuke? Don't you _dare_ isolate yourself in this! You're not the only one whose had family taken away! This bastard will be caught and Squad 7 will do it together!"

Sasuke's head dropped, his bangs covered his expression making him unreadable. The only sign he was reacting was the fact his arm had stopped shaking.

"_Do you understand!? They're dead!"_

Small drops of water fell on the table. Kakashi seeing them fall steadily, released the Uchiha's arm and left. No more needed to be said as the boy crumbled. Time would inevitably heal a broken man but never a dead one.

Outside the room he walked past Sakura who stood against the wall, her own eyes were overflowing with tears.

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

The White Room was a boring, color-deprived room. Its four boring walls held nothing but a video-camera located in the farthest corner that pointed at the locked steel door. As for the boring floor, the only thing sitting on it was a cot, a sink and toilet, and finally a table accompanied by a matching chair. As Naruto sat on the edge of the bed pressing his elbows against his knees he concluded that if he didn't escape soon he'd be driven to death by boredom.

'_Boring, boring, boring! What the heck am I supposed to do?!'_ he thought angrily. He fought the urge to flip the camera off. He instead curled up and tried thinking of any way to escape. His guts said he could but the facts he was well aware of as an officer knew he couldn't. It was impossible. Utterly. Impossible. If he was to escape and clear his name it'd have to be from outside the White Room. Perhaps when he was taken to Interrogation or something. But he had to! And he wanted to talk to Sasuke….

Hours passed and after pacing around the room a bit Naruto sat in defeat in one of the corners. As he pulled his knees in he noticed a thing locked around his right wrist. Pulling his jackets sleeve up, he examined it, questions forming in his mind. It appeared to be a bulky bracelet or watch of sorts that had a digital timer on it in hours reading: 161. Roughly a week. Was that how much time he had to clear his name? Anyway what was the strange and lightless contraption doing on him? If it was that heavy feeling he had felt upon arrest then the mechanisms inside it must have adjusted themselves specifically once being locked. It could only be one thing…

"That's strange," he murmured his gaze fixated on the thick bracelet that would not come off no matter how hard he tried squeezing his hand through it. "I thought you were still under development…"

Before he could gave it more thought he heard a silent knock on the door. There was only one person in all of PH who had such gentle hands. He pulled his sleeve down covering the watch and smiled as she entered in carrying a cup of instant ramen.

"N-Naruto…I brought you some dinner," Hinata Hyuga said looking to the floor. She was always so timid but of course she'd find the way to be the one to talk to him. She had absolutely insisted it when she heard the dreadful news.

Naruto grinned, "Thanks a bunch!"

He did not take the food though. And he wouldn't, Hinata knew. He wouldn't eat even his most favorite food when he gave such a fake smile. She looked down blushing. Her insides were eating her alive, her doubt, her grief, and her love. She couldn't stand the fact he was arrested for something he obviously didn't do but it wasn't in her nature to rebel against authority….Procedures were procedures. It was PH's goal to monitor him and find out the _whys_ of the case.

"I'm so sorry. For what happened, I mean. And I would have come here sooner but things have been so chaotic- all the squads are involved in this case now. Everyone's frantically trying salvage anything they can before the rain comes."

"I see…" he said dryly. After rubbing his hand through his hair a he murmered, "Hinata…please tell me what exactly is going on."

"I am allowed only to say the gist. As you read in the warrant… the Uchiha's were k-killed. Then this morning there was terrible explosion. Sai was hurt but he's alright now. The fire destroyed nearly everything but a few…things."

"Like the knife that framed me." His voice was sour.

"I won't believe it," she said solemnly. "I know you didn't do it. Them putting you in here is wrong. You're one of us…you shouldn't be in here."

"Yet here I am."

Hinata looked down sadly. Not knowing what else to say she turned to leave. "I have to go."

"Wait!"

He grabbed her hand and spun her around him so his back was facing the camera. Knowing the room monitored every sound that was made within its walls he made three silent motions with his hands. He pressed a fist against his open palm, pointed to himself, and then made a small sweeping motion. After a moment he circled his chest. _Please._

She gasped. His signing was rough but she knew exactly what he was trying to say. She bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered weakly. "But I just can't. I can't disobey…"

"It's okay, I shouldn't have even asked."

"I really, really want to but-"

"Just go." His voice hinted at anger she knew was not for her but his imprisonment. Still, the tone still hurt.

"I'm so sorry," she cried bowing her head. She quickly set the food on the table then left. The door locked automatically behind her. Once outside Hinata pressed her back against the door for support. She didn't have the strength to stand when he was so down. _Help me escape. Please, _he had signed. "I promise I'll try to do something," she whispered apologetically even though he could not hear her.

In her sadness she did not see the figure with glasses chucking to himself as they crept through the dark halls.

"You have seven days, Namikaze."

**DAY 1 OVER.**

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**_-TBC-_**

_Next time in Day 2 Yamato is the one to handle interrogation which just might mean an open window…_

_And Sasuke is gone._

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**IMPORTANT TERMS**

**Adrix:** _Special Purge Unit that deals with special cases. Not much is known about them other then the fact they work directly under Alpha's orders and their own rules. Often handles the Black Wing. (Bonus Trivia: I came up with the name "Adrix". It's an anagram of a Latin word. Ha, kinda like my user name…almost. (Shaxra = Sarah with "x".))_

**Alpha** : _Head of the Purge Headquarters. Only top members report into him, everyone else reports into the second in charge, Tsunade._

**Amaterastu**: _Special bullets that emit fire. Made especially for Sasuke's gun._

**The Black Wing**: _where criminals are detained. This jail resides within Purge Headquarters. _

**Elecuff: ** _specially made electronic handcuffs for PH that requires a numeric pin to unlock. Being electric they contain trackers within them. They are rather expensive but PH can afford them. _

**Kyuubi**: _Naruto's silver gun, he named it 'Kyuubi' after the mischievous nine-tailed fox from myth. It has a fox etched into its slide._

**MoZ**: Make-out Zombies! Do I need say more? XD Oh Pervy Sage you beast. What monstrosity have you released upon the world? XD Sadly the Perv died soon after conjuring up the idea for zombies but he is still cherished dearly by fans. I'm sure Nagato now has a copy and plays it in secrete, pretending the zombies are the demons of his past.

**PH Crest **_: Crest that Purgers wear, where exactly they choose to place their badges depends on their fancy. (Appropriate of course XD) The appearance of their crest depends on their exact job. Some have stars for example. Alpha has a dragon instead of a phoenix. Oh and why a phoenix? What better creature then a bird of fire (my play on the Will of Fire) who is reborn from its ashes? (ok I have an obsession with them as I do Griffins. Ever seen the first Chronicles of Narnia movie? (Disney version though I don't mind the old one-the witch really puts life in her role and if you watch it you'll see what I mean XD) Oh I love seeing that griffin fly! XD)_

**Purgers**_ : A mix of police and crime scene investigators. A Purge squad is comprised of an officer, ident, and a detective as a captain. They are assigned to a case and are responsible for carrying out justice. Purgers are bound by the unwritten law of never showing favoritism among criminals though they are allowed to treat higher up (better behaved) crims to partial liberty. Purgers have the power to release Purged criminals on good behavior if the Alpha agrees._

**Rasengan**: _Spiraling bullets especially made for Naruto's Kyuubi. They are more powerful than normal bullets and are impossible to dodge._

**Susanoo**: _Sasuke's gun... Naruto named it XD_

**White Room: ** (_Sometimes referred to as Purgatory_)_ Where homicide suspects, if connected to physical evidence, are detained until officially declared guilty or not guilty in a trail. If officially proven guilty they are placed in the Black Wing. If proven innocent they are immediately freed. This is PH's way of securing the suspect, preventing them from fleeing, and keeping the city safe should they really be guilty. No homicide suspect is exempt from these rule-not even Purgers themselves._

**Unknown Entry**: _An expensive bracelet that was __under development by Orochimaru__ but was never officiated. __The Xxxxx Watch gives the convict it's placed on a certain amount of time before xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.__ Other than that not much is known about it. When banned, knowledge of it was strictly forbidden save for the Alpha and a select few._

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

_AAAAHHH! So grim! I must invent a comic relief animal! Any cliché names that'd be perfect the darling?_

_Trying to start this part (you'd not believe how easy it came to me after the most ironic introduction I had planned for Naruto) , even though I had it all planned out, I just really struggled- I felt like I was in the racecar scenario that I mentioned in the Prologue. XD I can hear the sound effects too! Hahaha. Vrooooooom-swooBAM! 'Cept after that I can hear the sirens XD erueruerueru. And a guy yelling "Somebody call an ambulance!" Ha! This part should have been completed a LOT sooner but I was stumped on how to begin. Oh speaking of fails there are now two deleted scenes for Day 1 so after this chapter I will post them. Both are more or less humorous scenes I just didn't care for for various reasons._

_Hee hee. "Cookie car". I still laugh about it…._


	3. Day 1 DELETED SCENES

_**Deleted Scenes and Conceptions for Day 1**_

_Go ahead and skip if you want :3_

**DELETED SCENE 1: "COOKIE CAR!" **

**(original introduction scene for Day 1)**

_AN: I was really unsure how to start this story at first, I knew I wanted to introduce the main squad right away and also introduce the Purge system so I wrote this particular scene. But I decided to totally remove this introduction rather quickly because (1) It wasn't a hook and (2) Naruto felt a little too dumb in this intro. He's a baka but…this was just flat out pooh in my eyes. I much rather have my original opening scene from...it was like almost a year ago I believe._

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

"Man! Did you see the look on that crim's face!?" the blonde exclaimed elbowing his teammate as they walked through the night streets, recently arrested criminal in tow. Sasuke growled, "Touch me again and I'll rip your arms off."

Kakashi Hatake, the head captain of Squad Seven, chuckled, "now now Sasuke, show some patience to our newest Purger."

Sasuke sighed, "We're only a few months apart. That's no reason to act so excited over nothing, rookie or not."

"Well, this is _Naruto_ we're talking about here," Sakura giggled as she leaned into Sasuke. He groaned, annoyed.

Naruto continued his tale in excitement. "I mean as soon as he heard the click from Sai's camera he _knew_ he was totally busted! Caught with his hand in the cookie car!"

"Cookie _car_?" Sai asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Naruto began explaining. "The phrase goes hand caught in a cookie jar but since this time it was a _car _thief I said cookie car. Cool, ain't it?"

The blonde's smile was so big Kakashi couldn't but help feel like laughing. The apprehended car thief on the other hand scoffed, "Idiot."

"Whadja say!?" Naruto yelled pulling out his Kyuubi. He pointed the silver gun at the thief while smirking. The fox etched into its silver surface on the slide gleamed in the night light. Kakashi sighed exaggeratedly, "Put the gun away."

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

_Forgive me, I just felt like sharing that scene. I'll no doubt keep saying cookie car so it's good to know why. Heh, the story continues on in the next part ^.^_

_And if you can't tell this was early in conception, the idea was that Naruto was just a rookie, now in the official version there are different jobs and ranks _within_ a squad. A Squad is assigned for a particular crime scene so everyone has a job and they work together. (what makes the Purge the Purge, PD and CSI are not separate but together as units. And the Purge is the very back bone of the city. It is so very important…this will play a role later on in the story) Naruto, not exactly the smartest _cookie_, is a police officer. Sasuke and Sai work as Identification and crime-laboratory technicians along with Sakura, the brains of the group. (Meaning they collect evidence and also study it) Sakura also works as a medical examiner, an important job. Kakashi is ranked above them as a detective and their captain._

**DELETED SCENE 2: To Lunch We Go**

**(Naruto checks in in Part 2)**

_AN: And again I was really unsure how to introduce Naruto to the story XD This scene took me more longer to decide to remove it all the way but for timing's sake and the fact I wanted him to be unfolded ironically taking about stabbing people right after the match came up (ahhh video games XD love'em) I removed this scene but ended up taking bits and pieces from to summarize with in final version._

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

Man, he was feeling good today. Naruto Uzumaki smiled as he walked through the long halls of PH. It was a little before lunch time and he, much to Tsunade's distaste, had just checked in. He shrugged; he didn't understand what had her so anxious today-it wasn't like there was anything going on right now. Squad 7 had just cracked their latest case and no one had called or updated him in on a new one so he figured he deserved a little slack. So what he was a _tad _late today…okay maybe he was _very_ late. But it had been _worth _it. His thoughts on his night's endeavors were interrupted when he bumped into someone as he was about to make a turn.

"Watch it!" they hissed as they rubbed their forehead. It was Sasuke still slightly drowsy as if he had just woken up. Naruto smiled innocently, "woops! My bad-no need to shout. What's wrong? Woke up on the wrong side of the couch? "

"What sleep?" Sasuke glowered holding up a stack of papers, "someone has to stay up late doing the paper while the damn cop just slacks off."

Naruto sighed, "They aren't exactly my thing…"

"Cause you're such an idiot," the raven-haired Uchiha said flatly.

Naruto made a pout face "I wouldn't word it that way. But yeah, I'm more of an action guy. Papers..._ick_."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued walking.

"Hey wait," Naruto cried tugging on his shoulder. "It seems pretty empty in here…Do you know where everyone is?"

Walking through the halls and the lobby at the entrance Naruto hadn't seen hardly anyone…It was too quiet…

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. I'm not their keeper."

_What a typical thing for him to say…_

"Hey wanna go to the break room and lunch? Sakura and Sai ain't answering my texts so…"

"What lunch? You just go here," Sasuke retorted.

Naruto held up a wad of money. "I'll paaaaay," he bribed.

Sasuke looked him over. "You just want me to go to lunch with you so no one gets on your case."

"Yup," he said smiling. If he was eating by himself he could just imagine Tsunade or Sakura catching sight of him and pulling him by his ears with a, "get to work already!" Sasuke made for the perfect guard dog.

"If you're paying I want my favorite, extra large and everything on top," Sasuke smirked.

"What?! But that's expensive!"

"Exactly."

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

_And that's it. Don't know why I bothered with posting deleted scenes really but oh well, cept to do something different. Maybe also for some relief as Day 1 was the utterly grim. Yeah, comic-relief-no-jutsu coming right on up now I got the serious stuff out of the way mostly._

_Remember what I said up top, don't complain 'bout me posting this when I said you could skip it. (More like wait for the update then you could skip it)_


	4. Day 2 Part 1 RIOT

**Day 2 Part 1: RIOT-**_**Open Windows**_

_**_-The Following Morning-_**_

_The young Naruto was always such an energetic child as well as very competitive and inquisitive. Unfortunately he was a brat too. Iruka Umino had thought himself a pretty good teacher, a patient one, till the day that blonde, blue-eyed child walked into his classroom and tested his limits. _

_Often times Iruka had felt he lost his nice-teacher reputation because of that little devil. Nothing said "mean teacher" like the image of a guy __**constantly**__ getting on to the same old student-although that same old student's misbehavior that needed reprimanding was just as relentless. If Iruka let it go on like it did, that would make him a bad teacher which was far worse than being a so-called "mean" one._

_The child, Naruto Uzumaki, was such an oddity he stood out from the other students right away. From the strange birthmarks on his face to the fact he was always either pulling pranks or sleeping during class (thus getting him in more trouble and earning him a very very bad reputation-no mother wanted their child to hang out with the likes of him). The worse of it? Uzumaki was the only orphan in Iruka's entire classroom excluding himself. The poor child was targeted immediately by bullies. It didn't help that instead calling Iruka for help he fought back. Many times Iruka had to pull the children apart and Naruto was always the one to have received the majority of the blows and scratches._

_When Iruka tried to do something about it? Well it was futile. For reasons Iruka wasn't aware of Naruto's current guardians never showed up for parent-teacher conferences and making the boy stay after school didn't faze him one bit. Iruka felt nothing he did worked. The orphan vexed him to the point he could't even sleeping at night. He had never had this problem before with his students and he didn't know what to do with the poor kid who reminded him so much of how_ he_ used to be when he'd been a child. Childhood was very much sweet and bitter but it leaned more towards the latter for orphans._

_Even when it came to things like grades, Uzumaki was failing-and he honest to God didn't want to. He tried so hard but…well Iruka didn't know why the outcome was always the same. The end of the school year was looming ahead and if things continued as they did Naruto would have to repeat the year again. Iruka despised that idea for numerous reasons, one being how Naruto was being robbed the chance to connect and finally befriend a student, as he was always being left behind. A new year only meant a new face in the bully roster that continued to grow daily._

_But all that began to change one night though. Iruka upon hearing noise outside his classroom one afternoon went out to investigate only to see Naruto on top of a bully yelling "You son of a bitch!" as he punched the kid's face repeatedly. Iruka rushed towards Naruto grabbing the child who screamed and kicked about as he tried to free himself._

"_Is that any way to act?" Iruka hissed through his teeth. "Language like that is NOT appropriate, young man. Neither is fighting. What would your pare-"_

_Realizing what he was saying from force of habit Iruka stopped the phrase immediately, but it was too late. The hallway was dead silent. No one moved. Finally the bully laughed, "HAH! He don't have any Mr. Umino! His parents DUMPED him like the trash he is!"_

_Naruto screamed again as he kicked his feet. "BLOODY PRICK!" Iruka grunted as he tried to keep his hold over the child. "Go home, now!" he yelled to the bully. "And don't come to school tomorrow!" The bully ran off quickly not wanting a worse punishment. Iruka, meanwhile, dragged the foul-mouth child to one of the desks in the classroom forcing him to sit in it. Naruto pouted, refusing to look the teacher in the eyes. He always did this but Iruka knelt in front of him regardless. _

"_What was that? I thought I told you to stop getting involved in fights!" he reprimanded. The child huffed, "I tried but…he said I was abandoned. I can't help it I'm an orphan! It ain't fair!"_

_Iruka looked at the child concern filling his eyes. Orphan to orphan… "I know you can't. But…that's no reason to get involved. Don't let lies like that get you down."_

"_It ain't a lie."_

_Iruka couldn't speak. He was downright appalled. Had _no one_ ever even told the poor boy about his parents?_

"_Naruto," he said gently. "Your parents didn't abandon you. They died as heroes."_

"_They died? How?"_

"_They used to work for Purge. Right after you were born, Purge Headquarters was attacked…they died protecting it. You're the son of two heroes. You hear me? You can't let the past bog you down…Where's your current guardians?"_

"_Dunno. They abandoned me too. Haven't seen them since I turned five."_

"_You mean?"_

"_I get ramen money in the mail and stuff. I take care of myself!"_

_The child's excitement stung. Ramen money? It made the teacher angry and horrified at the same time at the lack of parenting and kindness this child had received. It also explained so much…How could he expect a child to behave when he was so alone? Before Iruka could think about what he was saying he blurted out, "It's getting late now…Why don't you just stay at my place tonight?"_

_The child's jaw dropped. "REALLY!? Do you have a big bed? Or a TV? WOW! I've never stayed a night someone's house before! It'd be so cool!"_

_Iruka smiled as he nodded. _

_Iruka slept well that night. Not so much the few nights after as having a child meant the usual "I had a nightmare" or "read me another story!" or those sounds in the kitchen as he got a midnight snake. Then as a teacher and part-time Purger there were always stacks of endless paperwork to go through but, regardless, when he _did _get some shut-eye his conscious was clear. He had never slept so better-even when after a long grueling day of work a certain someone just had to wake him up three in the morning whining about a thunderstorm._

_Things improved after that for both Iruka and the child. Then one day the entire classroom was asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was a rather mundane question but Iruka was really curious to hear what Naruto's answer would be. When it came his turn after listening to the drones of "I wanna be a fireman" or "teacher" and the occasional "hobo!" the blonde said confidently, "I wanna be a Purger just like my mom and daddies."_

_That was how, until the godfather Jiraiya took over, he, a young man who wasn't even married, officially became a dad to a child. And no paperwork was involved._

Iruka sighed as the memories surfaced to the top from the recollective sea inside him. The darker and deeper waters of his murky childhood were brightened by those few years he had spent with Naruto…

That's why when the he noticed the Kyuubi was stolen…Iruka didn't do jack. He knew who took it and he knew it would get them in trouble with Purge as it would him for not reporting the act in. Still, if he was going to pay then so be it. Rather him then Naruto any day. Iruka knew the thief felt the same way. He smiled thinking of her. Why oh why when every one in PH knew it was Naruto still so blind to her feelings?

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

After trying what felt like the fiftieth combo he collapsed his head to the interrogation room's table in defeat. Seeing as how he was placed in Interrogation and Yamato wasn't there yet Naruto figured it was the opportune moment to escape…If he could just free his hands from the cuffs attaching him to the freaking table that is. Yanking didn't work and if anything it really really hurt. Picking at the cuffs was impossible as they were electronic. Then the combo…He was positively sick of pushing random numbers in. How many combo possibilities were there if it was a four digit number? He didn't even feel like attempting to do the math. It didn't help that Purgers were forbidden from using repeated numbers like 4444, or 1111.

He groaned. This was turning out to be hopeless. He felt desperate, the numbers ticking down on the watch unnerved him more than anything. It was strange. It was like all he could think was he had to move, had to escape, had to prove his innocence, had to find the bastard, then…the watch magically came off? He didn't know but he had to do something. He was going insane. His silent desperate cry was interrupted when he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Yamato had finally arrived.

"Sorry I was late," he said sitting down with some papers in hand. "Things are getting really out of hand, first different Squads had to be dealt with then there was a riot in the Black Wing earlier…Some left over Akatsuki members even managed to escape."

'_NO FAIR! How'd THEY do it when I can't!? I bet it was an inside job!' _Naruto smiled as he kept his thoughts to himself. He only said out loud, "Maybe if the Adrix spent yesterday doing their job instead of harassing a poor innocent officer, the Akatsuki wouldn't have escaped."

Yamato didn't look very amused. "The Adrix have nothing to do with Akatsuki. Don't blame them when there's no evidence that suggest that they're the cause."

"Practice what you preach, bub," he replied hotly.

Yamato slid a picture of the knife across the table. "Unfortunately for you there _is_ evidence and even when all the squads went through the estate salvaging what they could yesterday…there was absolutely nothing disproving that you did it. Now then, does that knife look familiar to you?"

Naruto felt no desire to give the damn picture the time of day but instead glared at Yamato. "Why the hell you doing this to me? You know I was framed."

"Procedures," was his curt reply.

"I'm really getting _sick_ of that word." Honestly 'sick' didn't do justice to what he really was feeling about that word right now…

"You never had a problem with it before when _you_ were slapping the hand-cuffs on crims," Yamato replied propping his elbows against the table.

"Well that was before I was the one chained up. I've since then changed my opinions of PH."

"Just look at the picture."

Naruto slid it off the table, his glaring eyes not leaving Yamato as the picture fell to the floor. "Where was I last night? I was at home. What was I doing last night? Playing MoZ-and no I don't have physical proof of that or someone who could back me up. Am I close to the Uchiha family? Only to Sasuke. Maybe Itachi, who I haven't seen in years. I'm right handed and yes I carry a knife on me at all times, a small one I call my lucky charm. Did I use it to kill anyone? No. It obviously is too small not to mention it was confiscated from me when the Ass-wipes wrongfully arrested me. If I was framed where did they get my prints? I have no friggen clue. Any other questions or am I free to go now?"

"Don't get all smart with me. Your alibi is downright the most un-solid thing I've ever heard and there's still the question of how the culprit managed to obtain such clear prints. I don't mean to sound cruel but these are the facts that court will look at-not anyone's personal feelings. Just cold, hard facts. If we're unable to prove these facts as false….

"Naruto, something strange is going on-your best bet is to stay in PH under surveillance. You needn't be so melodramatic; this might very well be a blessing in disguise."

"How? What part of this makes you jump to that conclusion?" Naruto demanded rattling the elecuffs for emphasis.

"Sanctuary. Someone is after you-"

"Yeah! Like my own employer."

"Oh stop it. PH is only here for the city's protection and it acts _only _to protect the city. Anyway, we need to find out why they framed you and why they used the Uchiha estate to do it."

"Why can't I help out? And don't you dare say procedures."

Yamato stared at him. "Sorry."

'Figures he was a dead end….Yamato was too loyal to Purge…Letting Naruto go would be nothing but an insurrection against Purge and no one wanted that…

"Can I please at least talk to Sasuke…see how he's doing?" Naruto still had yet to even see Sasuke. He wondered how he was doing…He was sure it'd been a long night for both of them.

"I'm sorry. That really isn't…its best you don't see him until you're officially proven innocent…He's... Whether he steps foot back in PH is up to him."

Naruto groaned. "What if you guys never find anything to disprove the accusations? What if that explosion…destroyed my only chance? Black Wing, right?"

Yamato didn't answer. It wasn't that he couldn't but rather…he didn't want to say.

_-xXx-_

Naruto shuffled forward slowly as he kept his eyes on his feet. Yamato, who firmly held on to his arms, led from behind. The hallway was long and currently no one was in it except them. It held an occasional window or video camera but that was about it. Knowing about the constant video surveillance Naruto once again found his eyes drifting to his wrist. Why couldn't he have figured the combo out?!

Suddenly he heard Yamato whispering. "See the camera in front of us? Do not respond or make any facial expressions to what I'm about to say."

Naruto listened carefully, puzzled by the strange request.

"The combo is 5-6-5-3. Do _not_ unlock it till you get outside."

_Was he really going to help him escape!? _It took all of Naruto's will power to not show his excitement. If he did then that ever so lovely camera would bring lovely officers to stop his attempt before he even got started. Ug, when this mess got sorted he was breaking them.

"The exit's to the left. Through the door you'll have an empty room with a window. The window leads outside, of course. Once you're out run as fast as you can and don't come back till this is over. Hide and whatever you do don't let anyone see you. Everyone in PH will be after you. Procedures, remember? Most importantly, the news of your arrest already went public. The Underground and Akatsuki will be after your head. Stay safe…Ready? What ever you do not hold back."

Naruto closed his eyes…To not hold back, huh? So this was how Yamato had planned it. Yamato wasn't willing to directly go against the Purge…but he _was_ willing to go through it by indirect and more blunt methods. Naruto braced himself as he slammed his head back as hard as he could. Judging by the noise and the pain he hit right on target.

They both stumbled back against the hard floor. The captain cupped his bloody nose in pain. Naruto jumped to his feet, gave a thrust of the side of his hand to the fallen captain's neck and ran as fast as he could. He only had a small window of time to go through with this. He prayed who ever was in charge of surveillance was lax enough to allow him a few minutes.

Yamato, still conscious but stunned, groaned as he tried to breathe with his mouth as his nose, which felt broken, was bleeding profusely. He had really underestimated how hard that kid's head was. Well anyone who watched surveillance would assume Naruto had legitimately escaped…He hid his smile but didn't have to for long when he heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking. He frowned angrily.

'_I left the damn window unlocked! There was no need to break it!'_

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

The leaves outside her apartment window felt dark-not yet beginning to change colors in the early fall season. She watched the wind blow through the tree's branches and felt cold even though she was safely inside her warm room. Sakura finally climbed out of her bed feeling unsure about the day before her. Her apartment felt awkward with the presence of Sasuke in the spare room.

Last night she managed to get him to her apartment as he had nowhere else to go-the rest of Squad 7 had all been unavailable and PH really wasn't the best place for him to be in now. After he calmed down at Naruto he seemed upset with PH itself. She could understand why but at the same time…she feared what rash things he could do when he was so upset. That's why she felt the need to watch him.

She found him already up and propping his elbows against her coffee table, his fingers clasped together as he so often did when he was deep in thought. She swallowed. "Good morning."

"Hn."

"Is there anything you want for breakfast? Anything I can do for you?" she asked gently, feeling the atmosphere intensify. You'd think she would be used to it by now.  
"No."

She was amazed he had actually said a word. The entire night no matter how gently she spoke she had received nothing but the usual "hn" and the cold shoulder. She understood he was upset but…how was she supposed to help him when he was always so closed off? He was the perfect image of a brick wall.

She herself had never before lost a dear loved one so she didn't know what it felt like…But she had seen the ever so jovial Naruto go through it when he had heard of the great Jiraiya's death. She had never seen Naruto so down before…It was downright depressing to see him sulk so much. What brought him back from his mourning was a little bit of time and compassion from loved ones. She wanted to do the same for Sasuke but the Uchiha wasn't the type to wait on either unfortunately.

She sighed, and went to make breakfast-knowing he wouldn't even eat if she made the most fancy thing on Earth. It just didn't matter. "Can I see your cell-phone?"

The sudden question surprised her. He seemed to have new-found resolve on his face. She couldn't speak for a moment but finally she managed to pull the device from her pocket. "Sure thing. If…there's anything else I can do for you let me know, okay?" He grabbed the phone, not bothering to say anything else, like thanks. Who was he going to call? Everyone he knew was either dead or worked for PH…

The Uchiha quickly dialed a number he, and only he, knew. It rung a few times but on the third ring he heard the familiar voice he had always respected so much growing up go "Yeah?"

"Itachi."

Sakura widened her eyes. She had forgotten all about Sasuke's ex-Purger brother. No one knew why but a few years back he suddenly dropped out of Purge and left town. He hadn't been back since. Sasuke never told her why….

"So…Have you-hang on a moment," Sasuke said. Putting his finger over the speaker he glared at Sakura. "Do you mind?" he asked petulantly. She shook her head as she tried to hide her embarrassment. She left the living room but could not resist the urge to listen in as she waited in the hallway…

"So… have you heard yet?"

'_Why does he feel he had to be the one to break the bad news?'_

"Well maybe if you give people your damn number once in a while and quit being such a lone-wolf…"

'_You're one to talk!'_

"Anyway, someone attacked the estate two nights ago…Everyone's dead."

'_So blunt….'_

There was a long pause that nearly drove Sakura nuts. She really had no business snooping in but she was worried about her squad mate as she had the right to be. She finally heard him utter five words that could either mean nothing or absolutely everything.

"You don't seem surprised. Why?"

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

The Ex-Akatsuki and cultist chuckled as lit a cigarette. Freedom never tasted so good. Such a bitter taste that was pleasantly overcome by utter relief….

"So, Kakuzu. Such a flipping miraculous escape, huh? I believe you own a prayer of thanks to Jashin. Giving us that damn four-eyes and everything…"

The money lover who had such strange stitches adorned on him growled, "Your so-called god had nothing to do with it. It was money that freed us-or rather, that Kabuto's love for science. He'd do anything for a new _specimen_."

"Conducting human experimentation…It goes against the teachings! Oh, how sadistic," Hidan smiled evilly as he puffed at the cigarette mockingly. He liked to say he had picked the habit up from an evil man who he had killed in the past as an act of _divine justice_. "But what I do…now _that _is _true _worship. Hey…so now that we're free, where to next? I have a few people in mind that I'd like to join the ritual for me, like that Shika kid who nearly blew me to bits. Care to help out? I'm sure you'd like to take care of the pricks who put us behind bars. Especially that blonde one."

Behind the bandana that he wore, his lips curled, almost smiling if that was possible. "I'd love to do nothing more then snap his arms like a twig again-hell, he has a large looking price for his head, but the boss says we can't touch him. Not yet."

"Oh? This is my first time hearing about this. Last I check Boss man abandoned us in the friggen coop."

"Not him, he is no longer one of us," he said in a hiss. Nagato Uzumaki, as it had been revealed that was what Pain's true name was, was nothing but a traitor in his eyes. One who had forgotten his place as he and Konan had left behind all that the Akatsuki had worked for…all they had spent and scavenged around for…and for what? A stupid kid. They'd get what they owed him, that was for sure. They would _die _for their _debts._

Hidan threw his cigarette down and stomped on it. "So who you taking money from this time?"

"A great assassin who is able to pay the cash. Now then, this is where we part…unless you want to end up dead."

Hidan grinned, "I would love to see you try but Jashin is not so quick to let his children die."

"I bet money would change that."

The debate that followed lasted for hours and it ended with the two former partners splitting for the final time-they would never see each other again.

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

**_-TBC-_**

**Day 2 Part 2:**

_Well well well. Akatsuki on the loose and the mysterious strand of blonde hair that Kakashi had found the first day is remembered…_

_Meanwhile…hiding out shouldn't be too hard…right? _

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

_AN: sorry it's so short but I didn't want to cram everything into a single chapter as I had originally planned…Oh, I find Naruto's lack of parenting as a child complete BS. So…perhaps a full time Purger like Kakashi, Tsunade, or Jiraiya (all single) was unable to care for a child full time so he was left a pair of Guardians who worked under normal hours so someone would always be home with him…normal guardians who ended up to be total crap though. So Iruka, I believe, should have adopted him for awhile until Jiraiya, his godfather, returned and because Naruto was old enough to be home for long periods of time (Full time Purgers have very demanding schedules including all nighters). Jiraiya became his rightful adoptive parent until he died. Naruto by then felt old enough to live under only his Uzumaki surname by himself. He also had long become a Purger where he was connected to everyone at work by then._


End file.
